“The best thing about fashion? It changes” says Narendra Kumar Ahmed

The designer divulges his first-morning activity, favourite breakfast in bed and many more such details

Did you know that celebrity designer Narendra Kumar Ahmed is nicknamed Nari, a word which translates to woman in Hindi? And Nari refuses to divulge his age and smartly replies with: “All in the mind”, instead of quoting false figures!

Narendra Kumar Ahmed mends a jacket while posing for an exclusive pic for this column in his bedroom at home in Mumbai. On Narendra: Tracks, Zara; top, Zadig Voltaire; jacket, Narendra Kumar Ahmed

He lives with 300 pairs of shoes and cannot leave home without the ‘right pair’. Plus, he loves negroni, has embarrassed himself by snoring off at an important virtual group chat, and has moved all social media apps from home page one to four of his phone.

List three things nobody knows about you.

I was part of Esquire US 50 Best Men’s Stores in the World, 2013. I was one of the people responsible for creating fashion week in India, while I was at Elle, by getting designers together to what was to be The Elle India Fashion week and that I was India’s first Fashion Editor at the launch of Elle.

What’s your mood-lifting activity?

Watching Peter Sellers destroy the world.

Think twice and again twice post.

And your biggest pet peeve would be?

Wires that come with most common gadgets. And people wearing white sports socks with formal shoes.

A book you love to read again and again…?

The Awakening of Intelligence by J Krishnamurti

The best thing about fashion is...

Change.

Which podcast do you always listen to?

Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell.

And a Health Shot you swear by..?

Fresh orange juice, packed with Vitamin C.

Bedside stories

Person you text goodnight…

No one! I read.

The first thing you do after waking up?

Give my cat, Mr Figaro, a good rub before he bites!

What’s your favourite breakfast in bed?

Cereal, with yoghurt and fruit, eggs and earl grey tea, with honey.

What do you wear to bed?

I don’t think everybody wants to know.

A dream you’ve seen often…

Flying mostly… I’ve woken up dead once!

This or that

Instagram or Twitter?

Instagram

Fashion weeks or store launches?

Fashion weeks

Models or celebrity showstoppers?

Models, any day!

Big party or small gathering?

Big party

Money or Fame?

Fame

From HT Brunch, October 04, 2020

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